Look of the Week: Elena Rybakina's off-court elegance in 'tenniscore' inspired photoshoot

Tenniscore isn’t a trend, it’s a lifestyle—at least it is when you’re the WTA Tour’s resident cool-girl Elena Rybakina, who showed off her best practice-court-to-brunch-table “tenniscore” style during a recent photo shoot in Dubai.

Ahead of her BNP Paribas Open title defense, the world No. 4 took to Instagram to share a series of photos from a session with Timur Uteshbekov, a Kazakhstani photographer based in Dubai. Against a sunny beach backdrop, a grinning Rybakina cuts a casual-cool figure in preppy, tennis-inspired looks curated by Dubai-based stylist Azhar Yeleussizova.

Rybakina is shown wearing pieces from Sandro Paris, a label known for its "casual but always chic" vibes—reflected in the 24-year-old’s white cropped polo-neck jumper ($265) and a matching white pleated skirt ($295). It’s a look that screams ‘tenniscore’, a popular fashion trend that incorporates vintage tennis aesthetics into day-to-day athleisure looks. Think crisp Wimbledon-white tennis skirts with preppy sweaters, and high socks with white-and-green Adidas Stan Smith sneakers.

The tenniscore trend hit its peak back in 2020 and 2021, when COVID-19-era lockdowns and regulations caused participation in racquet sports to rise dramatically—drawing the eye of fashion labels eager to outfit and appeal to this new wave of players. But it’s back again in earnest as fashion consumers now embrace their “quiet luxury” era—Think minimalist elegance and old money style, like bags with no logos and timeless, quality pieces.

Rybakina’s snaps show off the perfect example of this aesthetic too, as brand labels on her outfit were kept to a minimum to let the understated accessories do the heavy lifting. She’s seen wearing classic black Celine sunglasses ($440), high athletic socks and white platform Walk'n'Dior sneakers ($990) in Christian Dior's signature Plan de Paris motif.

Cool and collected on the court, the photos show Rybakina’s bubbly off-court personality as well as her own laidback style. The 24-year-old loves a good high-fashion tennis nod: Remember when she paired a delicate long-sleeved white tulle Monique Lhuillier gown with Gucci “Ace” sneakers to the Wimbledon champion’s ball in 2022?

Whether the photos will end up in a magazine or just live on Rybakina’s Instagram feed, it’s always a treat to players aligning themselves with the world of luxury fashion. Will it result in the former Wimbledon champion scoring a major maison’s sponsorship, like Carlos Alcaraz and Louis Vuitton, Jannik Sinner and Gucci, and Emma Raducanu and Christian Dior? Only time will tell, but the shoot is a great way to signal to brands that you’re open for business—especially with one of the most fashion-focused Olympics rapidly approaching at the 2024 Paris Games.

In the meantime, Rybakina will be hitting the courts in Indian Wells as she prepares for her first WTA 1000 title defense. The world No. 4 won her seventh career title in Abu Dhabi and reached the championship match in Doha, but had to withdraw from the quarterfinals in Dubai due to gastrointestinal illness.